


Holy Water

by little_bean



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Lucifer POV, Murder Mystery, Reveal Fic, Winged!Lucifer, Wingfic, as always, chloe is super smart, eventually, this boy is troubled
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-03 20:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10974825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_bean/pseuds/little_bean
Summary: Lucifer and Chloe work together on a case concerning the murder over the theft of a unique item. It's rather ridiculous to Lucifer, until he experiences first hand what it's capable of doing.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Remember that amazing scene of Lucifer and Chloe in the penthouse? The one right after that momentous kiss on the beach?  
> Yeah, you know the one. Well, the music in the background inspired this fic. This is supposed to be a reveal fic, of Lucifer getting his wings back, but that won't actually happen until the next chapter. Just a warning.  
> I hope you enjoy reading this fic! I had fun writing it. Not sure where it is in the canon timeline. 
> 
> Also, I mention some religious practices and references, but I am not very well educated in either of those areas. If I got it wrong, or accidentally insult anyone because of them, I am very sorry, I never meant to. The only place I can think of it is when Luci is being sarcastic, so don't take it too literally!

Lucifer wasn’t sure how to feel about the last case. It had been relatively clear-cut and simple. A murder of passion, with a suspect that easily fell for Lucifer’s temptation, spilling their confession when he gave them that knowing smirk and intense stare. Of course, it had been enormously satisfying to walk in the room and leave with a confession within minutes after the Douche couldn’t get anything after an hour. But it also had meant limited time with the detective—or more, limited time with his work, Lucifer reminded himself.

Ah, fuck it. He was done ignoring his feelings, ignoring his pain. It meant less time with the detective. While he knew they couldn’t return to the way thing were before the moment on the beach, at least Lucifer could savor the interactions he now had with the detective. Even if he had forced the distance between them again, reforged the wall that she had entirely brought down for him, he could still admire her. Her resilience, her intelligence, and her beauty. Not only physical beauty (although Lucifer would giver her an 11/10 if she asked) but her beauty that came out of her selflessness, her strength, her love.

So there he sat in his penthouse, mindlessly swirling a cup of whisky, legs crossed, when his cell rang, buzzing in his chest pocket. He grumbled as he took it out, upset the caller had interrupted his albeit dangerous train of thought. All of his anger dissipated once he read the name flashing on his screen, supported by the wondrous photo of a drunk blonde on her first lady’s night out.

“Detective! It’s rather late for a case, is it not?”

“I know, I’m sorry, Lucifer,” Chloe apologized. Lucifer smiled. She never had to apologize to him, especially about something so miniscule. Others—especially a certain _father_ —had far, far worse things to repent for. “But I was just called in for this homicide, and I think you would be interested in it.” She paused. “Did I… did I interrupt something?”

Her voice sounded so meek. It made Lucifer’s heart tighten, knowing he was the one behind that soft hurt. She tried so hard to remain strong after his supposed rejected of her. _That’s what we are, just friends!_ rang in his ears constantly whenever she bit her lip in frustration, reigning in her own feelings. Just when he realized he had been silent a tad too long, Chloe started back up again.

“Oh, Lucifer, I am so sorry,” Chloe said, obviously disheveled from the other end. “I should have figured, I’ll let you get back--”

“Detective, you interrupted nothing,” he said, voice low. “Send me the address, and I’ll be there in a pop.” He hung up on her, breathing in ragged air. Dad knew that he couldn’t imagine having sex with anyone, now that he had fallen for the detective. Oh, he had fallen, and fallen much harder than before. He had tried to with others, of course, but before it had just been an activity. Now, it was filled with desire, desire on _his_ end, which never had happened before. A desire for the person with him to be a certain someone, that they weren’t just with him for the best night of their lives. That they were there to be spend the time with _him_ , to appreciate him for who he _was_ , not just what he had to offer.

Lucifer shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Damn that doctor. She was too good at her job. She had blown up the dam that held all of his feelings in check, and now they seemed to just continuously overflow whenever they wanted.

Whatever. Hopefully blasting the music in his corvette would drown out the constant stream of chatter.

 

***

 

It only barely worked. Lucifer tried to sing along to a couple of his favorite songs ( _Bye Bye Bye_ was playing. Don’t judge him), but eventually he tapered off as the remainder of who had turned him onto this era of music returned.

Slamming his palm on the volume knob, the music cut suddenly, only leaving the noise of the wind whipping past his face.

The sensation almost reminded of him of flying. Breakneck speeds, zig zagging back and forth, the scenery blurring. But the smell. The smell always grounded him. It was dirty, polluted, reeking of human touch.

So he cut off that stream of consciousness as well. Besides, it’s not like he desired to return to that life anyways.

Succumbing to the tug, Lucifer returned to the topic of Chloe. What could be so intriguing about this murder? And why did she think he would be interested in this particular one? He sifted through the possibilities, his questions answered as his drove up to the address.

A towering cathedral loomed over Lucifer, staring at him as if he had personally offended the building. He glowered at it, locking the car. Buttoning up his jacket, he strutted into the building, passing police tape, resentment already building deep in his stomach. The last place he ever wanted to be was a church. Chloe knew what had happened last time a case had involved his father’s followers. He had gained and lost a friend so quickly. Too quickly. It had left him broken.

But he understood, partially, why she still had called him. He still gave input about his opinion on the church and its followers frequently, correcting the perspective everyone seemed to have about his family and its history. So of course she would call him over for this case.

A policeman directed him downstairs, into a hallway, where Lucifer finally spotted the blonde detective. She had her arms crossed, supporting her chin with his wrist, careful not to touch her face with her gloved hands.

“You rang?” Lucifer leaned in close, hands in his pockets.

Chloe blinked, turning her attention from the covered body to her partner. Without a smile, she got right down to business.

“Yeah. Glad you could make it.” She gestured to the body. “A janitor was just found by a fellow worker. There is bruising on one of his forearms, as well as a blow to the head that Ella believes is what resulted in the death.”

The forensic scientist walked up, reading off a clipboard. “Yep. That’s my analysis of it. But what I can’t figure out is why this all happened _here_.” Ella gestured to the empty hallway they all stood in. “It’s super random. There’s nothing around here, the lighting is actually pretty good. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Lucifer nodded, taking in all of the information. “And where is Beatrice?”

Chloe blinked. “What? Trixie?” She scrunched her eyebrows together. “Dan is looking after her tonight. Don’t worry about her,” she touched this arm for a brief moment, just a brush. But it was enough for him to relax his muscles. “You have any ideas about this murder though?”

Lucifer tutted. “Poor chap. I’m guessing this wasn’t on purpose.”

Chloe looked up at him. “Why do you say that?”

“For the reasons dear Ella just stated, of course,” he responded, gesturing to the scientist. He started walking through the hallway. It was rather bland. The tiling was old and chipping, not worthy of his Italian shoes that walked upon it. There was no doors, except for one, around the corner. “Be honest with yourself, detective. Why would someone want this lowly janitor dead?”

“Lucifer!” Chloe reprimanded him, quickly following him down the hall.

He waved her off. “The answer is probably no one,” he continued. “So they must have desired something down here, and this man stumbled upon him.” He stopped in front of the door, which was slightly ajar. Raising his eyebrows at Chloe, he nudged it open with his shoulder. Before he could step in, Chloe placed a hand on his chest. She quietly took out her gun, and walked through first.

Peering over her shoulder, Lucifer took in the room. It was blindingly white, the lights still on. Stairs lowered into a pool, full to the brim, held water that reflected the light every which way. The water itself lay peacefully, not moving, yet it had obviously been disturbed before. There was water everywhere on the floor, small droplets speckling the tiles (much nicer tiles than the ones in the hallway, Lucifer noted) as well as shattered pottery next to the side of the baths.

Chloe released a breath. “Clear.” She returned her gun to her holster.

Footsteps made the pair spin around. Lucifer sucked in a breath.

A priest stood in the doorway, mouth tight. While he was certainly taller, the black man held himself the same way Father Frank had. Lucifer blinked back a shot of pain.

“Dammit,” the man mumbled, carefully stepping into the room. Ella followed him, immediately spotting the broken pottery. After giving a quick eyebrow to the father, she started to work on the pieces.

“Apologies,” the priest nodded to Lucifer and Chloe. “But now we have to drain the baths and start recollecting. Which might be hard, considering we are in the middle of spring in Southern California.”

“And you are?...” Chloe asked, removing her gloves.

“Father Luke,” the man introduced himself, extending a large hand.

Chloe shook it. “Nice to meet you, Father Luke. I’m Detective Chloe Decker, and this is my partner, Lucifer Morningstar,” Chloe said, gesturing to the Devil himself. Luke eyed him, his gaze moving up and down, but overall he seemed rather unfazed. “Would you mind explaining what you meant?”

“What, with the draining?” Chloe nodded.

“Please, detective, you don’t have to ask _him_ to get your answer,” Lucifer spoke up. He walked over to the pool. “This is clearly water for purification. Baptism, and the like. You know, the stuff you drown babies in once they are born?”

“We don’t _drown_ them, we bless them,” Father Luke retorted, walked up next to Lucifer. He took hold of one of the metal railings. “But this is our supply, the one all the fountains are connected to. No one is actually supposed to touch this.”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Chloe said. She glared at Lucifer. “Either of you.”

Lucifer sighed dramatically. “Detective, once this water is touched by a human, it becomes impure. You can’t reuse it. And since there is water everywhere, one must assume that it has been touched.”

Luke nodded. “He’s indeed correct. We will lose our entire supply. This is not optimal. We will need to send our congregation members to other locations to perform the holy water rituals now.”

Lucifer barked a laugh. “Come now, Father, do you really buy into the whole ‘holy water’ bit? Just go to a stream, like some Jews do. I mean, you did steal this idea from them anyway.”

“Lucifer,” Chloe said, voice filled with warning.

Father Luke closed his eyes. “It’s okay, Detective. I am not surprised by his outcry. He clearly has some issues he needs to deal with concerning the Church.”

Lucifer grinned. “Oh, I’ll show you issues--”

“Now is not the time, Lucifer,” Chloe said, raising her voice.

“Hey guys!” The trio turned to Ella. She held up a reconstructed vase. Grinning, she stood up from her crouch. “This was _so_ much easier than that champagne glass! The pieces were so much larger, and it was obvious from the shatters how it fell, and--”

“Ella, just tell us what you know, please,” Chloe asked.

“Oh, sure! It was dropped, right here,” Ella explained, moving a bit closer to the baths. The slowly lowered the container, until it touched the ground, them mimed it breaking. “The pieces, like I said, were pretty big, so the force it hit the ground with wasn’t that strong. That ruled out throwing it on the ground. And the pattern in which the pieces were in” --Ella swung her camera around, not enough time for Lucifer to see, even if Amenadiel had been using his powers-- “showed a direct landing. So I am assuming it was dropped, after someone was startled.”

Chloe nodded, with a look on her face Lucifer knew well. She was putting the picture together in her head.

“Okay, so someone was in here with that flask. They were probably scooping up some water from this pool, when the janitor saw the door open and witnessed them stealing the holy water.” _Just water_ , Lucifer said, reigning in his interruption. “He must have ran off to tell someone, but they followed, which resulted in a struggle, and then his death.” She shook her head. “It all makes sense, but what I don’t understand is why someone would even want this water to begin with.”

Father Luke brushed off his shirt. “Holy water is very precious to our community. It holds special properties, including cleansing, and at times, healing, when western medicine fails.”

Chloe looked awed. “And it actually works?”

Lucifer frowned. “Come on, Detective, don’t be fooled. That stuff hasn’t worked since my father placed his stepson on this planet. Jesus was the only one that could actually turn water holy.”

Father Luke shook his head. “This water works as well. I know there are many fake sources, but these have indeed been blessed by the Pope himself during his last visit to LA.”

“You mean in the 80s?” Lucifer asked. “The waters have lasted that long?”

Luke shrugged. “We don’t use that much at any given ceremony, and not even that often. Besides, we collect water during the rainfalls, so the blessed water touches it and becomes holy as well. It just grows.”

Chloe waved her hand. “That’s not the point. We should focus on the case. So who would want to steal this holy water? You said it heals?” Luke nodded. “Then maybe someone with a family member that needs treatment. Do you know anyone who has any siblings or parents that are sick?”

The Father rubbed his chin in thought. “Our congregation has indeed been blessed with good health recently, however there are a couple people that come to mind.”

Chloe rummaged through her coat pockets. Lucifer took the moment to appreciate the fine camel-colored material as she removed a notebook. “Great. Can you write down the names?”

“Sure,” said Father Luke, taking the writing materials. “Would you mind if I tagged along? These families are already going through enough trauma as it is, my conscience will not be clear if I let policemen go and accuse them of murder.”

Lucifer could see Chloe tense up, drawing up as much height as she could. Which wasn’t much, Lucifer laughed to himself, but her tall boots did indeed help. He simply shoved his hands into his pant pockets, waiting for the detective’s anger to burst with a secretive smile on his face.

Just as she raised her finger, mouth open to rebuke the priest, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and lowered her hand. Clutching her hands in front of her, she said softly, “Father, with all due respect, we are not going around accusing _anyone_ of murder. We are simply investigating for more information. We don’t accuse people without substantial evidence. Furthermore, even if this family is going through a trauma, that doesn’t excuse murder, even if it was accidental.” Chloe flashed a sad look towards Lucifer, who tilted his head. “And lastly,” she lowered her voice. “The last time a priest was involved in a case of ours, we became a casualty in a result of his own emotions and involvement. I can’t let that happen again.”

The blatant reminder of Father Frank, as well as Chloe’s 180 in emotions caused a pressure behind Lucifer’s eyes. He turned away, leaving the room. He was suddenly feeling claustrophobic, which was ridiculous. The Devil didn’t get _claustrophobic._ What an atrocious thought.

But it wasn’t the first time the detective managed to force Lucifer to experience new feelings.

He stood a couple feet away from the door, leaning against the wall, gathering his control until the detective and father emerged. The Father looked sorrowful, especially when he made eye contact with Lucifer, who didn’t want nor need his pity. Narrowing his eyes at the priest, Lucifer raised his chin at Chloe.

“Well?”

Chloe raised a piece of paper. “We have the names. I’ll run them through the database back at the precinct, and then we can start making the rounds in the morning.”

Lucifer nodded, playing with the buttons of his jacket. A touch on his arm stopped his nervous fidgeting. Wait, did he even fidget? If he did, since when?

“Hey,” Chloe started him out of his daze, hand still on his elbow. “Are you alright?”

Lucifer was confused. He blinked once, leaning down a bit to get closer to the detective. “Yes, of course I am. Why?”

“Well,” Chloe removed her hand, and Lucifer at once missed the contact. “I know I didn’t really give you the option to back out of this case. I just forced it on you. And I don’t want you to feel obligated. You know, to me. Or to the case,” Chloe quickly added. “So if you want, I can probably deal with this one on my own.”

Lucifer straightened, giving Chloe a genuine smile. “Detective, I would never abandon you,” he said. Chloe gave him toothless smile back, but he could see distrust flash in her eyes. He knew what she was recalling; his vanishing off to Las Vegas. But he hadn’t actually abandoned her. He would never, could never do that. “I’m with you on this one. You have nothing to worry about.”

Chloe finally smiled completely, but Lucifer was deflated to see it didn’t quite light up her eyes. “Okay. Great.” They made their way back up the stairs and to the entrance of the church. Back at Lucifer’s car, Chloe stuffed her hands into her coat. She kicked a rock into the empty street. “Well then, I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll give you the addresses later.”

“Perfect.” Lucifer hopped into his car, leaping over the door and landing gracefully. “Give my regards to Beatrice.” He waved, starting his car engine.

“I will,” Chloe said, waving back.

As he drove away, he could see her stand at the curb. She stayed there, watching him depart, as he glanced back in his rear view mirror until he turned the corner.

 

***

 

The detective had kept her promise and sent the location of the suspects almost immediately to Lucifer. She added an extra text bubble: _8 AM!_ Lucifer had greeted that one with a groan, simply sending a frowny face in return.

He groaned again, this time at the door of the fourth suspect’s house, as Chloe knocked on the door.

“Really, detective, you could have saved us both many hours of sleep if you were simply clairvoyant! Could have saved us the trouble of following those three false leads.”

Chloe gave him a side glance. “Sorry, Lucifer,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “But I’m not the one with weird powers in this partnership.”

Lucifer grumbled, tacitly accepting her argument, even as his eyes dropped. Of course, he was only tired since he was around her. He could stay up for eternity if she wasn’t near him. But it was already 4 o’clock! They had wasted hours on those three other families. Lucifer yawned.

Finally the door opened, revealing a tall blonde man. His eyes were piercingly green, but Lucifer had seem much more beauty in the Silver City. Nothing, except maybe the detective, came close to reminding him of the place.

“Can I help you?”

Chloe held up her badge. “Yeah. LAPD. I have a few questions I would like to ask you. Is anyone else home?”

The man opened the door wider, letting them in. “Oh, sure. Yeah, my sister is here. Let me go get her.”

Chloe surveyed the living space as the man brought back another equally as handsome woman. A bit shorter than her brother, she had sharp eyes that took in the detective almost as quickly as the detective took in her.

Chloe folded her arms. “So you two are Duncan and Lillian Stottlemyer?”

“That’s us,” Duncan said, eyeing Lucifer.

“Great.” Chloe flipped through her notebook. “And your… other sister? That is who has pancreatic cancer?”

Duncan shook his head. “What? Other sister?” He looked to Lillian. “Did you hear that? No way! I had no idea! And she’s sick?”

Lillian rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Duncan, you’re making a fool of yourself. No, not our sister. My best friend, Sarah, has cancer. She was diagnosed over a year ago. She got chemotherapy, and the treatment was working, until the cancer just started taking over her body. The doctors say that she doesn’t have more than a month or so to live now.” Lillian crossed her arms. “What is this about? Why do you want to know?”

“Where were you last night, Lillian?” Lucifer asked.

“What is this about?” Lillian asked again, pointedly avoiding Lucifer’s question.

Chloe sighed. “A murder was found last night at the Cathedral of Saint Augustine. Some holy water was stolen from the church as well. We suspect that someone who desired the healing properties of the water committed both crimes. Now please, answer my partner’s question.”

“No where!” Duncan shouted, shaking under Lucifer’s dark gaze. “I mean, I was somewhere, but I was gaming late last night with my friends. They can back me up, don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Duncan,” Lucifer tried to calm the fellow down. “Now, Lillian,” he leaned in, making sure he had full eye contact. “What were you doing last night? Got home late? From an adventurous excursion?”

Chloe stepped back, letting Lucifer do his work. Lillian frowned, blinked, then stepped back as well. “What? No! No, stop that,” she pushed Lucifer away, clutching at her necklace. Lucifer stumbled, startled at her strength, but brushed off the break in connection.

“I would never do that,” Lillian claimed. She showed Chloe and Lucifer her necklace. “I’m a devout follower of Jesus. I know right from wrong, I know where the lines blur. But I would never be able to bring myself to murder anyone.” Her silver cross was pinched between her fingers. Lucifer scoffed.

“Alright, but can you backup the claim? Do you have an alibi?”

Lillian shook her head. “No… I was just in my room at that time. Wait, actually,” Lillian pulled out her phone. “I was Snapchatting my friend, Julien last night, at around 2 o’clock.”

“The time of the murder,” Chloe murmured.

Lillian opened up her photos. “I took some screenshots of the exchange. You know, for blackmail.”

“Of course,” Lucifer agreed.

“Here—you see? 1:54 AM,” Lillian said. “And I also saved some of my own photos. Not really sure why…” she flipped to another picture, where she was making a duck face. The time stamp read 2:15, and she was clearly on her bed, head lying on a pillow.

“Where do you know your friend? Julien, did you say?” Chloe asked.

“Julien? Oh, from school, like Sarah. We’re all friends.”

“And he’s religious as well?”

Lillian frowned. “No, not at all. He’s agnostic. But he always listens to my ramblings, never doubting my own faith.”

Chloe snapped her head up. “Did you tell him about the holy water?”

Lillian placed her phone down. “I might have, ages ago, but not recently. Why?”

“I’ll need you to send that screenshot of Julien to the LAPD and give me his address.” Chloe handed Lillian the notepad, practically shoving it in her hands. Lillian looked startled, but scribbled down the numbers and street name.

“What’s going on, Detective?” Lucifer asked, lost as well. He hated to be left in the dark.

“I’ll explain on the way to his house.” Chloe took the notepad, starting to shove Lucifer out the door.

“Wait, Detective!” Chloe stopped, turning back to Lillian’s voice.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but Julien gave me this at school today. Said it was important. Maybe you should take it.” The woman handed Chloe a small jar, small enough to hold in the palm of Lucifer’s hand. Chloe nodded.

“Thank you. I’ll be in touch.” Chloe led her way back out, almost running to her car.

Lucifer took long strides to keep up with her, his annoyance growing. Taking the passenger seat, he clutched the side as Chloe stepped on the gas pedal after handing him the jar.

“Well, Detective? Mind filling me in?”

Chloe turned the street corner. “In that photo of Julien, I could see the railing of the baths in the background. Maybe he was trying to keep up the pretense he was at home, or this generation just has an obsession with social media, but he was definitely at the cathedral at 1:54 AM last morning.”

Lucifer nodded. “Ah, so he must have heard Lillian talk about these waters before. And since the treatments stopped working…”

“Then this was his last resort to save his friend,” Chloe finished for him. “Tragic story, but he’s still a murderer.”  
  
“The lengths humans go to to save their loved ones is truly tremendous,” Lucifer commented. He examined the small vial. “So what is this? You think it is some of the holy water?” He removed the cap, smelling the substance inside.

“Lucifer, close that! You don’t know what it is. It might be dangerous.”

“Don’t fret, Detective. I’m sure it’s quite alright.” Lucifer made a move to close the vial.

Just at that moment, Chloe went over a speed bump. Some of the clear liquid shot up from the jar, landing on Lucifer’s right hand.

A burning sensation sliced through his skin, penetrating deep into his hand. A dark, deep red formed on the top, spreading with the water. Gasping, Lucifer dropped the vial, as he clutched the wound with is other hand. He held it to his body, grinding his teeth through the pain.

“Sorry! Took the bump to hard,” Chloe said. Then she noticed Lucifer. “Lucifer, are you alright? What happened?”

Lucifer looked at his hand. The burn had subsided, and his hand had returned to having a normal layer of pink skin. He stared at it, confused. “I… I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I’m fine. I’m afraid I dropped the container.”

Chloe glanced quickly at the vial, which spilled the liquid all over her car. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She turned back to the road, nodding. “Here we are.” She cut the engine, then stepped out of the car.

Lucifer leaned down, carefully picking up the unbroken jar. He smelled the inside; no odor. His hand hovered over the carpeting on the bottom of the car. With a swear, he pulled his hand back, then exited the car.

Making his way to the detective, who stood at the door dialing on her phone, Lucifer examined his hand once again. There was a dull, throbbing pain now. It felt like pain he had experienced long ago, when he had first been cast into hell. The fires of hell had scorched his skin, to leave him pulsing with pain forevermore until one glorious night when it had eventually stopped. But it had left him with the red scars that marked his entire body.

With a glance to Chloe, who was now knocking on the door, Lucifer flashed into his true form.

His red skin greeted him, as it always had. The blisters of pain lost shone, dulled in the sunlight, used to only the light emitted from Hellfire.

But a spot of light emerged from the top of his hand, pale white and pink glistening in the shape of a water splash.

The liquid, it had healed him.

The holy water.

It had restored him to his angelic skin.

Lucifer stared at the mark. When was the last time he had admired his own true body? It must have been millennia upon millennia.

Lucifer couldn’t believe it. Bringing up his other hand, he made a move to touch it. But the stark reminder of his tortured body moved with it, his reddened fingers brushing the fixed skin. He flinched, switching back into his human form.

“Lucifer! No one’s answering, but I heard movement. Come on!” Chloe called, waving him from the porch.

Fisting his right hand, Lucifer nodded, making his way to the detective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa!! Crazy!!  
> So yeah, that was the idea that sprang into my head. What would happen if Lucifer came into contact with real holy water? Well, maybe this would happen.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I will try and update this with the finishing chapter soon, but I am starting my summer job Wednesday so I might be busy. But I will try and get it done and posted before next week's episode. I feel like if they do the reveal, it will take away from my version?? That's probably nonsensical, but the way the actual writers will do it will top anything I could think of. 
> 
> I hope Lucifer isn't too OOC... it's rather hard getting into his head. He's pretty complicated!  
> Anyways, let me know what you think :)


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The waters continue their affect as Chloe and Lucifer continue their apprehension of the perp. With either be able to deal with the repercussions of the case?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for all of the kudos. It means a lot.  
> I hope this conclusive chapters is okay! I had a plan in my head for how it would turn out, but then Lucifer and Chloe just took hold of the story and this happened.

“Ready?”

“Quite,” Lucifer answered, trying to focus on the task in front of him. Chloe didn’t need his mind shifting back to his once-mutilated hand. She needed him sharp, so as not to be taken from behind and almost choked to death once again. Besides, he didn’t have that death wish any more.

Chloe kicked down Julien’s door, screaming “LAPD!” as she marched inside, gun drawn. The foyer was dark, splitting into two different directions. Lucifer tapped on Chloe’s shoulder, pointing to himself and then the right. She nodded, then headed to the left. As Lucifer entered the living room, he kept his eyes open for any more water containers. The power that substance had was unlike anything Lucifer had encountered in a while. It wasn’t even divine, simply blessed. And yet, it could still repair celestial wounds. Lucifer needed to get his hands on the rest. The possibilities it offered were endless.

If he could fix his flesh, maybe he would never need to show Chloe who he really was. He could live a normal life, mortal around his partner, with real human skin. Of course, Maze would feel left out, so maybe he could offer some to her and her ripped face.

He ruffled around the coach, not finding anything. He lifted it, still discovering nothing. The living room was scarce, a small television set in the corner that might have been a black and white. He continued on to the hallway.

Maybe Maze wouldn’t even want to have a human face, Lucifer thought, hand grazing the walls. She had always been stubborn and proud about who, or what, she was. Unlike him. How could he be proud? He represented all that was bad in this world, thanks to humanity. Despite his personal beliefs, people still perceived him to be the grinning, horned, evil monster of nightmares. And now, he had the opportunity to erase all of that, push it all indeed in the past, and never think about it again. He could move forward.

But then the sound of the therapist’s voice sounded in his head. This was just another version of suppressing his feelings. Leaving his past behind him didn’t change who he still was.

The door to the bathroom was open, the a mirror on the wall reflected Lucifer’s image to him. His human face, the one that represented his angelic form gazed back at him, in an endless staring contest. Lucifer flashed his red eyes, the light giving the bathroom a bloody glow.

He was the Devil. No matter what skin he had, he had still rebelled against his Father. He had still instigated the Original Sin. After all the growth he had gone through, revealing himself to Linda, accepting who he was, accepting his feelings, he couldn’t take that step back. Besides, never telling Chloe would almost be as bad as lying to her. He would never know if she would ever had accepted him for who he was, not who he pretended to be.

Of course, he would have to eventually tell her for him to find out about that, and that thought still terrified him. But that was another hurdle for him to jump. For now, he finally decided to leave the holy water alone. It wasn’t his to take, to use, to abuse.

Lucifer smiled at his reflected, flashing his true form for a split second in the mirror. For a moment, he appreciated the burnt skin, the blister marks, the scar tissue. It was him. It shaped him, and had led him to LA, and Chloe.

“What the fuck?”

Lucifer spun, face back to normal. The same man Lucifer had seen on Lillian’s phone stared at him, mouth agape. He clutched at the wall, trying to steady himself. He was dressed ready to run, clothed in layers. A bag was slung on his arm, which Lucifer presumed contained the water.

“You’re… you’re not LAPD,” Julien stuttered, stepping back. “What are you?”

Lucifer grinned, stepping forward. So the chap had seen the flash. Not Lucifer’s fault, but he might as well reap the rewards of fear and submission.

“I am exactly what you think I am,” he provided the small man. “Now, unless you want your punishment to be much, much worse than it has to be, I would hand over the backpack and turn yourself in.” Lucifer held out his hand. “Or, we could have a little fun together. Make our own personal hell right in your house.”

Julien kept walking backwards, until he hit the wall. Nodding, he stuck a shaky hand into his pack, taking out a large clay jar.

“Very good,” Lucifer coxed.

“Lucifer, stay back!” Chloe shouted behind him, stepping into the hallway. Lucifer turned in place, startled. Her gun was fixed on Julien.

“Get back, demon!” Julien shouted. Uncorking the jar, he shoved it into the air. Twisting his neck, Lucifer could see the cascade of water descend upon him, about to inflict pain all over his body.

“No!” Chloe shouted again as Julien made a move to run. They both disappeared into the next room.

All Lucifer could see was the water. He turned his back, trying to protect his face. At first, he felt the cool contact as the water hit his suit. Then, a split second later, the searing pain took over his backside. It was knife stabs, over and over again. It was a slow, burning pain that continued digging deeper into his body until it reached the bone. It was claws, tearing at his flesh, scratching down his back.

Lucifer fell down, screaming at the top of his lungs. Two pressure points on his back, where his scars were, thrashed in agony. He twisted with the pain, trying to fight it, but it was useless. It wasn’t subsiding.

Somehow, through the loud suffering, Lucifer could hear a scuffle in the living which resulted in handcuff noises. At least the detective had managed to apprehend the little monster.

“Ahh!” Lucifer yelled again as another shot of pain seized his back. He arched off the ground, as if that could help. It did nothing to the cutting lighting that discharged up and down and through his body.

“Lucifer! Lucifer! What’s wrong?” Chloe came running from the other room. Lucifer could hear her boots crack over the shattered pottery on the ground, splashing in the water. His eyes were tight shut, trying to drive out the pain, as they flashed red against his eyelids. He couldn’t open them even if he tried. “Oh my god,” Chloe breathed. He felt her hands on his body, trying to help him control his movements. He brought his arms across his front, squeezing them, trying not to lash out and hurt her.

“Let me call 911. I already called for backup, but you need emergency help. Just hang in there, okay, Lucifer? Everything will be fine.”

“No!” Lucifer gasped out. Winning against the red, he finally opened his eyes, finding Chloe’s arm to latch on to. “No hospitals,” he told her, breathing heavy. What would happen at the hospital? Would they test his blood? Prod at his skin? And what would happen once Chloe left?

“Lucifer, you need medical attention,” Chloe said, kneeling back down beside him, phone already unlocked.

Lucifer shook his head, grinding his teeth. “No.” He gazed at her, eyes vulnerable. “No hospitals. Please.” His voice fell with the last word, trying to convey just how desperate he was. He could see Chloe’s face harden as she bit her cheek. Then the pain became too much again, and he arched his back again, yelling through the pain.

“Fine. But we need to get you out of here.” Chloe stood up, and Lucifer’s arm fell to the ground as his hold on her became too weak to stay latched.

Lucifer stared at the ceiling, trying to focus on the crack as the pain grew and grew in his back. Sound dulled around him, the room became darker and darker.

“Maze---Luc---hurt---”

And then all was black.

 

***

 

His whole back thrummed. The buzz felt so loud that it almost vibrated his entire body.

Lucifer tried moving his fingers, then legs. It all worked, although he was very sore. Blinking, he pried open his eyes. His ceiling fan twirled above him, brushing him with soft, warm air. His fan? How had he gotten back to his bed? Why was he even in bed? His memory felt fuzzy.

He tried to sit up, only to be greeted with firing pain in his back. Relenting to simply moving his neck, he looked down at his body. His torso was bare, but he was still wearing his pants. The blanket was tucked in on the sides, keeping him secure in the comfy bed. There was a glass of water on his nightstand, but it wasn’t as if he could even muster up the strength to even reach it.

Groaning, Lucifer thrust his head back into the pillow. “Detective?” He called out.

His door opened at once. Maze strutted in, face with odd concern.

“Lucifer? You’re awake!” She quickly walked to the side of the bed, touching his shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Lucifer scrunched his eyebrows together. “What is this, Maze? Feelings hour? Tell me what happened.”

Maze straightened her back, removing her hand. “What happened? _You_ tell _me_. Chloe called, distressed, informing me that you were practically dying in pain after being exposed to some chemical. So I came to retrieve your limp body from the crime scene before the rest of the men and women in blue could show up. You’ve been asleep for three days. I’ve been taking care of Lux, and you, all this time. You’re welcome,” she added dryly.

“Three days?” Lucifer repeated, amazed. Maze nodded. “And the detective? Has she seen me?”

Maze shrugged. “She tried, but I told her you were still unconscious. She said something about testing, but I just talked over her, saying it made no sense for her to see you when you were being more boring than usual.”

“Boring, I am _never_ ,” Lucifer said, insulted. He tried pushing himself up with his elbows, to no avail. Maze grabbed his arm to help him. Then she sucked in a breath dropping him back down.

With an _oof,_ Lucifer fell back onto his pillow. “Maze, what on earth are you doing?”

Maze stared behind Lucifer, eyebrows raised. Then her gaze hardened, anger flashing across her soulless eyes. “No way. No fucking way. How? How long? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lucifer rubbed his head. “Maze, what are you talking about? Could you please stop spitting nonsense?”

Maze finally helped Lucifer sit up. “Lucifer, your scars. They’re gone. Did you not know?”

“ _What_?” Lucifer found the strength now to stand up, and with the support of his walls, made his way to the bathroom. He turned around to stare at his back. All of the ragged skin was gone; the scar tissue was replaced with smooth skin, as if he had just been thought up by his Father.

Lucifer grasped the edge of his sink, the evening coming back to him. Julien, the water, the attack. The memory of the pain made his back hurt again. Stumbling out of the bathroom, Lucifer collapsed in a chair. Maze hovered around him, still confused. He glared up at her, suddenly angry. “How much, Maze? How much of my body was affected?” He could feel his eyes flash red with fury.

Maze stood her ground. “I have no clue what you mean!” She shouted at him.

Lucifer clutched the armrests. “Maze, please calm down a moment. I need you for this next part.”

“Me? Calm down? You are the one that needs to control their mood swings!” She kept shouting, throwing her arm in the air.

“Maze. Please.”

His sudden tone shift keyed Maze onto the importance of the next moment. Lowering her gesturing arm, she folded her hands together.

“Tell me what you see once I shift.”

With closed eyes, Lucifer changed into his true form. He waited a moment, but there was nothing but silence from the demon. Finally he rolled his head, peeking open his eyes. “Come now, Maze, what do I look like?”

Maze walked around him, eyes wide. “Holy hell,” she whispered, transfixed.

Lucifer snorted. “Kinda an oxymoron, really,” he quipped. “But really. Maze.”

Maze stepped close to him, brushing her fingers down his back. “Your entire back, it… looks angelic,” she admitted, finding no other word for it. “But the rest of you is still the same. How?... I don’t understand. What chemical were you hit with? Was it from heaven?”

Lucifer shrugged Maze off, switching back to his human form. “It wasn’t a chemical. It was simply holy water. I guess it had the power to heal even me.” He held his head in his hands. “But now look at me. I have a splash of skin on my back to contrast my burns. Wonderful. I’m even uglier than before.”

“It… it healed you?” Maze repeated, awed. “Something on this planet had the power to heal you?”

Lucifer nodded. “Yes, that is what I just said. Please keep up,” he said, raising his head to look at Maze. He paused, watching her as her eyes became unfocused, her hand caressing her left cheek.

“No, Maze,” Lucifer warned.

Her eyes snapped back to reality, fury blazing behind them. “No? No? How could you say that?” She pointed accusingly at the devil. “You can’t make that choice for me! Why can’t I have the same as you? Why are you always so selfish?”

Lucifer rose out of the chair, his body protesting with the movement. He ignored it, flashing back to his true (now striped) form. “Because Maze, I was made into this after I Fell. You were made like that from the very beginning. There is nothing on you _to_ heal.” Maze clenched her jaw. “Maze, why are you shying away from what you are? There is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Then why do you always run from who you are?” She countered

“I don’t,” Lucifer said. “When have I ever said I wasn’t the Devil?”

“You run away by not saying anything to your detective. You shy away from her, from the truth, whenever she is around you,” Maze said. “And you know it.”

The elevator door dinged, and the pair twirled around, Lucifer shifting back as the doors opened. The moving metal revealed Chloe, who looked up once the elevator settled. Immediately she smiled, a calm, relieved smile, directed at Lucifer. Then she saw Maze’s and Lucifer’s tense stances, and the smile disappeared. Lucifer found himself craving that smile once more.

“Is there something wrong?”

“No, of course not.” Lucifer said, eyeing Maze who gave him a _see?_ look. He would deal with her later. For now… “Please get my robe, Maze.”

“I’m not your servant.”

Lucifer raised his eyebrows, trying to communicate with his right-hand demon. Eventually she seemed to get it, making a small ‘o’ with her mouth. She retreated to his bedroom.

Lucifer turned to Chloe, making sure to keep his back away from her. She walked slowly to him, making her way down the few steps to the main sitting area. She reached out, almost touching his side. “So you’re okay?”

Lucifer grimaced, sitting back down in his chair behind him. “Admittedly, it still hurts,” he couldn’t lie. “But I think I’ll be fine.”

“Good.” Chloe said. “I think so too. You better be, considering it was just water that fell on you.”

Lucifer sat up straighter. “You know that?”

“Of course I do,” she said, frowning. “You think I wouldn’t test the substance that fell on my partner?” Lucifer’s insides did a small flip. She cared! But of course she did, the selfless detective. “So, how did it hurt you? Was it burning hot?”

Lucifer thought for a moment, as Maze finally brought back his robe. He swung it on, finally covering his smooth back. “I guess in a sense it was,” he said.

“You guess?” Chloe repeated. “Well, let me see your back. If you have any serious burns, they should be treated right away.” She stepped towards Lucifer.

He stood up suddenly, backing around the chair, creating distance between them. “No! I’m fine, I don’t have any burns.” That was the truth.

“Then why did the water hurt? Lucifer, none of this is making any sense. Is there something else going on?”

The direct question posed a problem for Lucifer. He clutched the back of the chair. “Detective, I think you should go. I am still very weak from the attack.”

“The water attack?” Chloe snided, obviously trying to cover the hurt from the blatant dismissal.

“Yes,” Lucifer whispered.

“Fine. But I’ll be back. And you won’t get rid of me that easily when I do,” Chloe promised, marching back up the to the elevator. She glared at Lucifer until the doors closed around her.

Lucifer sighed, his back pain starting to escalate. He walked to the couch, laying down on his stomach. Maze watched impassively.

“That went well.”

“Spare me, Mazikeen.”

“Whatever, Lucifer. But you can’t run away from who you are forever.”

As if in answer, his upper back rose in anger, the scratches of invisible claws returning. Lucifer gasped, tears being forced from his eyes.

“Mazikeen,” Lucifer stuttered. “My back, my scars…”

“They’re gone,” she said, rushing to his side.

“They hurt!” Lucifer roared. He didn’t understand. Why was the pain still here? His hand was perfectly normal now. What made his back any different?

There was a release in energy from his back, as if his whole skin started to rip, and he blacked out once more.

 

***

 

He had been dragged off the couch, his cheek squished against his recently polished tile floors, drool seeping from his mouth. He felt the cool surface touching his torso—he was naked, again.

“Maze?” Lucifer muttered against the ground. “Maze?” he called, a little louder this time. Why did she keep undressing him? Finally he saw tall black boots walk in front of his face. He moved his eyes, still pressed against the floor. One hand on her hip, the other was held out, holding a wet red cloth.

“You’re not going to like this, Lucifer.”

“What?” He tried twisting around to lay on his back, to be stopped by something protruding from the ground. But there was nothing there when he looked. So he settled for sitting upright. Absentmindedly, he scratched his back.

There was something on his back.

He looked over his shoulder. Coming out of his back where his scars once were, was bony skin. It emerged raggedly, pointing perpendicular to his back, reaching for the sky. They were bloodied around the tip, having punched through his skin before continuing its journey, but the rest of the new skin glistened, feathers already starting to grow.

“Cut them off,” he ordered immediately. “Cut them off, now, before they grow back completely.”

“No,” Maze crossed her arms. “I won’t ever do that again. Besides, I have a feeling they would just regrow again. I mean, look how fast these are developing. It’s only been an hour since you fell unconscious. At this rate, by tonight you should have your full set back.”

Lucifer slammed at the ground, the tile crushing beneath his strength. “This damned water!” He cursed.

Then he saw his hand. It was burned red; but he had no recollection of switching forms.

He tried to turn back. Nothing happened.

Lucifer sat up, forgetting the pain continuing on in back as the wings kept growing. He flicked his hand, as if that would help.

“Is there a problem?” Maze asked, crouching down.

“I can’t alter back,” Lucifer breathed, fear seizing to the core.

A smack of skin. Lucifer’s face whipped to the side with the force of Maze’s slap.

“Huh, that didn’t help,” she commented, rubbing her chin.

Lucifer clenched his jaw. “This isn’t good.”

“Should I call Amenadiel?” Maze asked, walking to the phone.

Lucifer jumped up. “No! No. I… I don’t think he would appreciate the fact I got my wings back.”

“Lucifer, he’ll find out eventually.”

“I know.” Lucifer rubbed his head, making his way to the piano. He steadied himself until he flopped into the chair. He seemed to be doing that a lot.

“Can you just leave me, Mazikeen?”

She stared at him, sliced eyebrow twitching with discomfort. “You won’t do anything stupid while I’m gone?”

Lucifer fingered the keys, consoled in the fact they still felt the same under his numbed fingers.

“I’ll be fine. Come back whenever you want.”

Maze nodded. Gathering her leather jacket, she departed, the elevator dinging behind her.

Lucifer kept touching the keys, trying to summon a melody from the depths of his tormented brain. He started with a dark, ominous tune. Staying at the bottom of the piano, Lucifer hit the piano with all of his pain and sorrow. The piano responded in kind; the music it released sounded like a cry. A cry of a weeping child, abandoned by its parents for not being what they desired. Shunned for simply being different, having different wishes than what was expected. A cry of failure, solitude.

One that begged the question: why me?

What was wrong with  me?

It turned into a cry that stood its ground.

The tune became more resolved, hardened. It accepted who it was. Maybe it wasn’t alone. There were many others that accepted it. Family could be found in the strangest of places. This lonely piano had found a home in a fallen angel’s penthouse. Surely the Devil can have a human family.

The powerful notes drew a thankful smile on Lucifer’s face. His red fingers flew gracefully over the keys, floating to higher tones. He drew upon the energy of the piano, calming himself.

It might have been minutes, maybe it was hours. He didn’t know how long he had sat at the piano after he settled on a soft, harmonious tune that allayed his soul. Lucifer closed his eyes, imagining the lyrics that accompanied the song. The low voice started to creep up his throat. The wind caressed his cheek.

The wind?

When he opened his eyes, it was dark out. But as he surveyed the windows, he found all of them closed.

Lucifer braced himself. Trying to remember the muscles, he contracted his back.

He was met with the silky sound of the rush of feathers as they cut through the air. His wings extended behind them, basking in their full glory once again. Staring in front of him, Lucifer could see their light reflecting off of his windows as they regained their sanctity.

Curving one around, Lucifer reached out to brush a feather with his hand.

_Ding!_

The sound the elevator made Lucifer snap his wings back. Quickly pinching himself, he tucked his hand back as he felt the pain climb up his nerves.

_The detective._

With a swoosh of his wings, Lucifer made all the alcohol come crashing down with the force of the wind wave. Then he sprang up, jumping to get to his bedroom, walking in sideways to accommodate his wings as Chloe was distracted by the mess.

“Lucifer!” He heard just as he slammed the door behind him. He panted, his wings to the door as he stared at his hands. They remained red. He wasn’t ready for this. Not ready for her to see his face, see his _wings_.

Maze was right. Every time he was with the detective, he wished he wasn’t himself.

Through the door, Lucifer could hear Chloe slowly but deliberately make her way to the door of his room.

There was a quiet knock.

“Lucifer, I know you’re in there,” she said, voice muffled by the wood.

He didn’t respond, instead choosing to focus on inhaling. Could he hyperventilate with the detective around?

“Please, Lucifer. Let me know if you’re alright.”

Lucifer squeezed his eyes closed. Just moments ago he thought he would be. Now, with Chloe so close to knowing the truth, he wasn’t sure.

No. He was sure.

“I am not,” he said. Too quiet for Chloe to hear, he hoped.

The silence punched him in the gut. Then he heard Chloe try the door. It opened slightly, as he didn’t lock it. But he grabbed the handle, pulling it close just as he saw a glimpse of Chloe’s deep eyes. Just as he saw them widen. She had seen. Lucifer’s heart pounded.

Another coat of silence.

Then her boots, clumping against the tile. She had seen him, figured out the truth.

And she was walking away.

Lucifer touched his forehead against the cool door, trying to contain himself. Trying to focus on the sound of her feet. They kept pulling a distance between them as they retreated. Lucifer’s eyes burned as he felt the tears forming. Another rejection for the Devil. But he couldn’t really be surprised, though, right? Everyone rejected him at one point or another. Once they were faced with the reality of who he really was, deep down, no one could stand him.

Then he heard the low squeesh of springs in his couch.

What?

She had… sat down?

“Lucifer,” he heard Chloe call from the other end. “If you’re not okay, I am here for you. I am _always_ here for you. If you want to talk, please come out. When you’re ready. I’m… I’m ready, if you are.”

She was ready?

Had she really processed what she had seen that quickly? Lucifer didn’t believe it.

But he did believe her when she said she was there for him. She was right. She was always there for him, offering him an ear or shoulder to lean on, even though every time he had rejected her.

But now, she wasn't rejecting him. At the moment.

And he wouldn’t reject her this time.

Summoning all of this strength, Lucifer turned the knob. He opened the door, making sure to keep his figure out Chloe’s line of sight.

“Are you positive about this, Detective?” he called into the shadows of the room.

“Yes,” she responded, her voice slightly shaky.

With a deep breath, Lucifer stepped outside, the moonlight flashing over his body. Tucking his wings behind him, trying to make them smaller, Lucifer gave a tentative smile to Chloe, whose eyes widened even more. Her mouth opened, her arms limp as she absent mindedly stood up from her spot on the couch. Lucifer stayed fixed to his spot, fearing any movement would spook the homicide cop. Her eyes flickered over his hands, his face, his exposed torso. She made quick eye contact with him, but she averted his gaze. He watched her move onto an object behind him.

Then he realized she was staring at his wings.

He shuffled in place, uncomfortable with her palpable scrutiny. He had no once of a clue what was going on in her mind.

Chloe finally closed her mouth, opening and closing her hands, as if she was trying to reassure herself she was still on Earth.

“So.” She started, voice still shaky. “So. It was all true. This entire time.”

“Yes,” Lucifer said, voice apologetic.

“You were never lying to me, when you claimed you were the Devil.”

“Never.”

She took a step forward, her balance steady. “Show me.”

“What?” Lucifer said, matching her step with a backwards one of his own.

“Show me the wings.”

Whatever did she want to see them for? He had no idea. But she deserved whatever request she asked from him. Lowering his head, he called upon the old (or new?) muscles once again. This wings reached outwards, grabbing for the ceiling as they revealed their glory. Chloe’s eyes lit up as she took them in, a look of awe flashing over her face.

“They are beautiful, Lucifer,” she whispered, walking forward. She looked at him straight on. “But your face…”

Lucifer gave a false laugh. “I know. Disgusting.”

Chloe frowned. “That is _not_ what I was going to say.” She held up a hand. “I was going to say, it looks… painful,” she whispered.

Lucifer swallowed. “Well, it is.”

Chloe nodded. “Do a turn for me.”

Obeying, Lucifer did a 360, tucking his wings back behind him. He could hear Chloe gasp when she saw his fleshy back from which his wings protruded from. When he finished his circle, he could see the gears turning in Chloe’s head.

“The holy water.”

Lucifer let her put it all together.

“It did this? You said it burned you?”

Lucifer started. She was getting it wrong. “No, no. My back is the holy water’s doing. The rest is courtesy of my father.”

Chloe’s brow creased. “Your father? You mean, God?” Her eyes hardened. “You’re telling me God did this to you? What an ass.”

Lucifer chuckled, genuine.

“So then, the holy water repaired your initial burns then?”

“Yep,” Lucifer confirmed for her. “As well as bringing back my bloody wings,” he grumbled, shrugging his shoulder.

Chloe nodded to herself, walking back to the sofa, sitting down with a low exhale.  
“Right.” She stared at the floor, watching some of the spilled alcohol drip down the steps.

Lucifer timidly walked across from her, keeping his distance.

“I must admit, you are taking this rather well, Detective.”

Chloe breathed in, her shoulders raising with the effort and then falling with her loud release of breath. “Trust me, my mind is railing on the inside. But I guess, I was sort of ready for this. Maybe hoping.”

“Hoping?” Lucifer repeated in disbelief. That couldn’t be. Someone _hoping_ for their partner to be the Devil? Impossible.

“Well, it does explain so much,” Chloe said, relaxing into the pillows. “With Malcom, your super strength, your strange ability to make people reveal their deepest desires.” Lucifer let her have a moment. Then she blinked, seemingly coming back to herself. “You said you weren’t alright.”

“Pardon?”

She sat up, determined. “You said when you closed me off in your room you weren’t alright.” She pat the cushion next to her. “Talk to me.”

He could tell Chloe wouldn't let this go. So Lucifer eyed the seat skeptically, making his way painstakingly slow, just in case she changed her mind and told him to stay back. But her mouth in its stubborn shape, and she didn’t twitch a muscle as he settled on the couch.

“What’s wrong?”

Lucifer raised his hands in the air, his wings following his movements involuntarily, then slapped them back down on his legs. “Just look at me, detective, and there is your answer.”

“Trust me, I am,” she said. “But what else? You’ve obviously looked like this before.”

Lucifer turned his head, the smolder returning behind his eyes. “I’ve rejected this body, these wings, already once. I fear I do not have the strength to do so again.”

“What do you mean?” Chloe pushed.

Lucifer closed his eyes, wishing she hadn’t asked. That she would just leave him alone. But she earned his answers.

“I ignore my scars every day. I cut and burned my wings, the ones you helped me find when we had just met. But now they are thrown back at me, without my consent. I feel violated, but I can’t even fight it. And I can’t even accept that they’re back,” he ended, voice faltering at the end as a tear dropped onto his hand.

“Because of what they remind you of?”

Lucifer’s throat contracted. He nodded, unable to answer her verbally. These wings were too much from _before_. They were too much of a constant punch in the face. But he couldn’t remove them, not again. And not just because Maze refused to. Because, for some reason, some part of him wanted to keep them.

“Do you know what they tell me?” Chloe asked. Lucifer turned to her. He shook his head, another tear falling down his red cheek.

“They tell me,” Chloe reached out a halting hand. With a small nod to herself, she brushed her thumb across Lucifer’s cheek, wiping away the tear. _Oh_ , how wonderful it felt for someone to touch him. For his detective to touch him, while he was incapable of saving her from his scarred face. It was like soothing balm, like the rains of Heavens were singing their revival hymn onto his skin. “They tell me that you, Lucifer Morningstar, are no Devil.”

Lucifer stared at her, transfixed by her stunning eyes, her stunning strength. “But I am, I really am.”

Chloe shook her head. “Those wings tell me you will always be more than what others define you as. You are no Devil, maybe not even an angel. You are whoever you want to be. You say those wings feel forced upon you? Just embrace them. Embrace who you really are, which only you can choose what that is.”

“But, how?” Lucifer begged. Isn’t that what had gotten him into this whole mess to begin with? Him wanting to choose his own fate?

But yet, with the detective saying it, the idea sounded possible.

With that, Chloe shrugged. “That’s the hard part. It’s life. We must each find our own way, struggle through the twist and turns. But we must endure them to fully find ourselves. That comes with accepting your wings as well, Lucifer. Accepting the marks the waters inflicted on you.”

What she was saying reminded Lucifer deeply of Dr. Martin’s astute advice weeks ago, when they had been dealing with his mother and the Flaming Sword. Maybe there was a common thread with smart blondes in his life.

Lucifer nodded, letting Chloe know he heard her.

They sat there together, Lucifer taking in Chloe’s words, when she finally broke the silence.

“May I…” she dropped off, shaking her head. “Nevermind.”

“What is it?” Lucifer asked. “Please. You helped me. I will do anything to make this easier for you.”

Chloe looked at him, some fear still escaping her eyes. Lucifer didn’t try to ignore it. Instead, he tried to understand it.

“I know this must be difficult. But you were there for me. We are… we are still friends, yes? So I will be there for you, right now.” He looked at her, eyes conveying just how strongly he meant those words.

Thankfully, Chloe saw something she could trust. “I was wondering if I could touch your wings,” she said finally.

Lucifer straightened, not expecting that. He turned in his seat, bringing his wing around in front of him, blocking off some of his view of the detective. He nodded, giving her permission.

Her hand rose above the back arch, lingering just above the white feathers before they descended on his wings.

He had thought her touching his face had been like nothing he had ever felt.

Oh, how he had been wrong.

Her touch was like electricity. But it didn’t shock him. Instead, it sent waves of pleasure through his entire body, sending him to heaven and back down to Earth a million times a second.

But not the pleasure he was well-versed in. No, this was not sexual pleasure. It was the pleasure of laying in the sun on a cool summer day, letting the rays kiss your skin. It was the pleasure of listening to waves crash on the beach, forever in a waltz with the sand. It was the pleasure of reaching the top of a canyon hike, taking in the site the of reddened rocks. It was all the wonderful pleasures the earth had to offer, and more.

He felt her smooth down the feathers, fingers sliding down the wings, playing with the ends. His wings widened to her touch, welcoming more.

Her other hand joined the dance. His center feathers enveloped her, letting her completely in. He wished he could feel like this all the time. This sense of belonging, of intimacy, of being home.

“Lucifer.” Chloe’s soft voice brought him back to reality.

He opened his eyes, unaware he had even closed them. “Yes?” He asked, surprised he wasn’t breathless from that experience.

She reached out to touch his cheek again, and he felt the scrub of facial hair under her hands.

“I’m back,” he whispered, covering Chloe’s hand with his own. He looked at his other hand; it was back to normal, his human form returned.

Chloe removed her hand from under Lucifer’s shaking her head, taking it with her other one in her lap. She squeezed them together. “No, you were always here.”

Lucifer squeezed back.

“You, Chloe Decker, are one hell of a miracle. You are truly marvelous.”

Chloe flashed him a smile. “I know.”

Lucifer returned her smile with one of his own. It was a true smile, shining almost as bright as his wings. Chloe’s smile grew dazzling, right before she thrust herself forward and took her partner, her best friend, into her arms.

This time, Lucifer didn’t freeze, didn’t shy away from her touch.

Instead, he instantly hugged back, tightening his hold on the detective, on Chloe. He nuzzled his nose into her neck, taking in the love she offered him.

Maybe, with her help, he would find his way in this world.

No, he knew he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the song Lucifer was playing at the end, this is a link to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lOcc9x9uYM it is one of my favorite tunes.  
> I hope you enjoyed this story. Can't wait for the season finale this week!! I am probably going to die as I watch it.


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